I Filmed A Wedding With A GoPro

The Why

My Friends wanted to have some extra memories from their wedding. They asked me if I could do a video for them. I used GoPro’s for quick maneuverability, fast shot setup and I wanted to see how the process would go.

The Where

We were in Smithville, Texas for the wedding but were staying in Bastrop, just a few minutes down the road. Being outside of Austin was great; The small town feel and nature helped forget how close you were to the big city.

The What

I used 3 GoPro Hero 4 Silver’s to capture the footage, using the Silver specifically for the LCD. For mounting and stabilization, I used two Joby Gorillapod’s and a Feiyu G4 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal.

Overall, the GoPro’s worked very well for quick, run-and-gun type shooting at the wedding and reception. The main reason I went with the GoPro’s, instead of a DSLR or more professional video camera, was that I didn’t want to spend too much time setting up shots. This was a friends wedding, so I wanted the ability to be a part of the ceremony and reception, rather than be a fly on the wall trying to be unnoticed.

The footage the GoPro’s captured was great during the ceremony. I kept them on the medium setting. The wide angle of the GoPro is too much for most applications. Keeping all three cameras on the same setting also helps keep the editing and transitions smoother. I placed a GoPro in the back for a full shot of the ceremony, shot in 2K. I then placed a GoPro at the front of the aisle, on a decorative pole, to keep a centered shot of the wedding and wedding party. I then used the Gimbal to walk around the ceremony and capture close ups and more positioned shots. This was fun but you had to remember to move slow and steady, as not to draw the guests attention.

The footage captured during the reception isn’t great, I would call it good. The lighting at the reception was dim and a lot went on outside with mood lighting. In these situations, the GoPro’s use a very high ISO, so the footage gets very grainy. This is the biggest fallback of shooting with a GoPro in low light situations. It would be best to have some small lights with you if you’re needing more professional shots. Not using a GoPro is the best option, but it all depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Most of the footage captured at the reception from done with the Gimbal. I did place a GoPro on a whiskey bottle, which was very fun!

Equipment Used*

I only own one Hero 4 Silver, so I rented the other two from Borrowlenses.com. This is where I rent all my equipment from when needed for a project.